Airway Disease and Management in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

This article presents an overview of the diagnosis and management of airway problems encountered in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Respiratory failure in premature infants develops as a result of parenchymal and airway diseases. The survival of increasingly premature infants and the ventilatory support required by premature lungs may result in airway disease. The management of respiratory failure depends on whether it is primarily caused by parenchymal versus airway diseases. Continuous airway pressure early in the neonatal period has favorably changed the incidence of BPD. This article discusses the indications, timing, and guidelines for care of tracheotomy.